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About this journal

Once upon a time, during one of those all too common occasions when I was not thinking straight, I decided to collect all things Fantastic Four.  Net result of that highly questionable decision is around 3,200 Fantastic Four and FF related comics (so far), and somewhere around 1,000 things like statues, toys, puzzles, etc.  I am building a web site for the collection but thought I would post some of the more interesting (to me anyway) stuff here just for grins and giggles.  (Let me know if there is anything you would like to see and I will dig around in the 'ol boxes and see if I have it.)

The web site is in its very early days (will take a couple of years to get it all done) but it is live if you want to knock around and see what is there so far.  https://dekventures.com/FantasticFour/

Entries in this journal

Fantastio Four 35-cent price variants - shown with regular issues

Nothing crazy unique about this lot, although you don't often see them displayed with their 30-cent counterparts.  I put the 30-cent variants in a separate post. I have a bunch of variants, error issues, and signed FF comics scanned front and back on my website if you want check out any other stuff: https://dekventures.com/FantasticFour/fantastic-four-v-1-variants-signed-reprints/
Dan'el

Dan'el

1

Fantastic Four 30-cent price variants - shown with regular issues

Nothing crazy unique about this lot, although you don't often see them displayed with their 25-cent counterparts.  I put the 35-cent variants in a separate post. I have a bunch of variants, error issues, and signed FF comics scanned front and back on my website if you want check out any other stuff: https://dekventures.com/FantasticFour/fantastic-four-v-1-variants-signed-reprints/  
Dan'el

Dan'el

0

Fantastic Four #201: Dec 1978: Undocumented print error

As curiosities go, this is one.  The first comic below has an apparent print error.  The top right corner of the comic, just above the issue number, is printed in yellow for no known reason.  In the normal comic, posted below that, the area is printed correctly in red.  This is not a one-off.  This FF issue is very common so there are a ton of them listed on eBay at any given time.  I have checked a few times (looked at maybe 200 comics) and have seen this identical error on just three other iss
Dan'el

Dan'el

7

Atlantis Attacks - 1989: How crazy did Marvel think we were, anyway?

This was a crazy Marvel gimmick.  “Atlantis Attacks”, was a maxi-series that arced over fourteen different Marvel Comic annuals in 1989.  In addition, there were three regular issues that had tie-in stories for a total of seventeen comics.  Did Marvel actually believe that anyone would be dumb enough to collect all of those comics just to read that story? … Uhh … Oops! You can see the list and each comic scanned front and back at my nascent FF website:  https://dekventures.com/Fantasti
Dan'el

Dan'el

4

The Complete Fantastic Four: UK Weekly: #1 & #2: With Toys! 1977

“The Complete Fantastic Four” was a British (UK) weekly series that ran for thirty-seven issues (September, 1977 to June, 1978).  It was a magazine-size comic with color covers and black and white interior pages, although the comic length was the standard 16-pages (8 wraps).  The first two issues came with enclosed plastic models. I posted the the first two issues (front and back and the toy) below.  I have the full series scanned on my just starting FF web site if you want to check out any
Dan'el

Dan'el

5

Marvel Value Stamp Books: 1974-76: Series A & B

Ever wonder how many Bronze-age comic books were cut-up and sacrificed to fill these stamp books?  Thousands, no doubt.  Series A was the famous Hulk killer since all of the Wolverine intro issues #180 (Cyclops stamp), #181 (Shanna stamp), and #182 (Golem stamp) were on the hit list.  According to the resource listed at bottom, the Shanna stamp in this book came from Astonishing Tales #23 and not Incredible Hulk #181 (The Cheetah's back right leg was drawn in for that issue but not the Hulk issu
Dan'el

Dan'el

0

Strange Tales V1 #110, #111, #115, #117: 1963-64: Doctor Strange arrives on the scene

Issue #110 of Strange Tales featured the first appearance of Doctor Strange tucked into a little story in the back of the comic.  Issue #111 was his second appearance and #115 told us his origin story but it was not until Issue #117 that he actually got a mention on the cover. I have the entire Torch series in Strange Tales (#101 - #134, plus Annual #2) scanned front and back on my website: https://dekventures.com/FantasticFour/fantastic-four-cross-over-misc-titles/
Dan'el

Dan'el

0

Fantastic Four V1 #12: Mar 1963: 1st Hulk versus Thing

This comic is tied with Amazing Spider-Man #1 (that one also featured the Fantastic Four) as the first ever Marvel cross-over.  Wonder how many times the Thing and Hulk have butted heads over the years?  I imagine someone out there has tried to document it.  I will settle for many.  Eventually, I will have all FF V1 comics scanned front and back on my website.  What I have so far can be found here: https://dekventures.com/FantasticFour/fantastic-four-v-1-regular-issues  
Dan'el

Dan'el

0

Amazing Spider-Man #1: Mar 1963: Tied for 1st ever Marvel Cross-Over

This Spider-Man / Fantastic Four cross-over is tied with Fantastic Four #12 (Hulk / Fantastic Four) for the honor of being the first ever Marvel cross-over.  This comic looks decent but has a carefully hidden flaw.  Someone very carefully removed the last ad page.  (That, or someone originally ripped the thing out and someone later worked really hard to hide it.)  Fella that sold it to me did not bother to mention it but did not seem all that surprised when I pointed it out to him.  Oh, well.  P
Dan'el

Dan'el

1

Fantastic Four V1: #48, #49, #50: 1966: Galactus & Surfer & Watcher - Oh My!

Arguably the most famous story arc in comic book history.  1st appearance of the Silver Surfer and Galactus - and Wyatt Wingfoot for that matter.  The Surfer blows into town and tags earth as the next food feast for Galactus, which would essentially be the end life as we know it - on this planet anyway.  The Fantastic Four step up to save the day, of course.  It is what they do. Lee and Kirby at their best. Eventually, I will have all FF V1 comics scanned front and back on my website.  What
Dan'el

Dan'el

0

Strange Tales V1 #113: Oct 1963: Extremely rare bindery error!

This may be one of those things that is so rare that it has no value.  So far, this is the only copy of this I have seen or heard of.  This comic has three stories.  "Torch vs Plantman"; "Search for Shanng"; and "Shoemaker's Strange Assistants".  In the normal copy, the stories are placed in the book in that order.  In this copy, the Shanng story is inserted first, then the Shoemaker story, with the Torch story last.  Basically, the wraps were assembled in the wrong order at the bindery.  Normal
Dan'el

Dan'el

2

Fantastic Four V1 #100: Jul 1970 - UK 1 shilling price variant

Did not have a clue what the price on this comic was all about.  I was used to seeing all of the UK pence variants but had never seen this weird symbol before, so thought it was an error of some kind.  Posted it on another forum here and someone gave me the poop on it.  That symbol stands for one shilling which was equal to twelve pence.  Copy with regular price right below it. I have a bunch of variants, error issues, and signed FF comics scanned front and back on my website: https://dekve
Dan'el

Dan'el

0

Fantastic Four V1: #110: May 1971 - original error cover

This one was kind of fun.  The printer left one of the colors out of the mix on the original run and some the them got out the door before they caught it.  You know, these comics were printed using the four color process.  Given that the title of the comic is, "One From Four Leaves Three!", it makes you wonder if someone at the printer did not think leaving a color out would be a grand joke.  The corrected version is right below it. I have a bunch of variants, error issues, and signed FF co
Dan'el

Dan'el

1

Fantastic Four V1 #5: Aug 1962: 1st Doctor Doom

First appearance of Doctor Doom - arguably the most complex and conflicted bad guy in the Marvel Universe.  Or maybe he is just crazy. Eventually, I will have all FF V1 comics scanned front and back on my website.  What I have so far can be found here: https://dekventures.com/FantasticFour/fantastic-four-v-1-regular-issues  
Dan'el

Dan'el

0

Homer Simpson Doctor Doom Statue

What Fantastic Four collection would be complete without Homer Doom?   This is an actual 7-inch statue.  I believe it is a foreign knock-off (Mexico maybe?) and completely unapproved by anyone at Marvel or Fox.  
Dan'el

Dan'el

0

Fantastic Four V1: #52: Jul 1966: 1st Black Panther

First appearance of the Black Panther.  Tossed this one in as a prime example of what a successful Marvel movie can do to a comic. Seven years ago, Overstreet had this book valued at $700 in NM 9.2.  Current Overstreet has it at $4,600 and that is way less than it sells for in reality.  Crazy world. Eventually, I will have all FF V1 comics scanned front and back on my website.  What I have so far can be found here: https://dekventures.com/FantasticFour/fantastic-four-v-1-regular-issues
Dan'el

Dan'el

0

Fantastic Four V1 #37: Apr 1965: My favorite FF comic

This is my all time favorite Fantastic Four comic. I think that Kirby's art and Stan's story in this issue capture the essence of what made the FF such a success.  Starts off with some machine Reed dreamed up destroying Johnny's tux for Reed and Sue's wedding.  They then zip off to battle the Skrull on a far away planet, saving the earth in the process (of course).  And, after all that, they still manage to get to back to earth in time for the wedding rehearsal. 'Nuff said! Eventually, I wi
Dan'el

Dan'el

1

Fantastic Four #1: French Heritage Edition: Sep 1968: Rare

You do not see this one often. It may be harder to find than the Marvel #1 issue. It is not a reprint of FF #1.  Not sure how they decided which books to publish in this series but it did eventually lead to 162 total issues.  (I have all of them.) Eventually, I will have this entire series scanned front and back on my website.  All of the issues scanned so far can be found here: https://dekventures.com/FantasticFour/fantastic-four-heritage-series-french-canadian/  
Dan'el

Dan'el

7

Fantastic Four V1 #3: Mar 1962: The one that got me hooked

This issue had a lot to do with my decision to collect FF comics.  As a child my mother would give me a dime so I could walk down to the drug store on the corner and buy a comic book.  I still remember the day I bought this book because the price had changed to twelve cents and I only had that dime.  The dude at the store would not cut me any slack so, instead of using the dime to get another comic, I trudged my way back home and hit mom up for another two cents and then went back to get it.  On
Dan'el

Dan'el

3

Fantastic Four V1 #1: Nov 1961: The Big Dog!

THE BIG DADDY!  Yep, this is the one.  The comic that launched what would eventually become the Marvel Universe.  This one is beat but complete and is unslabbed so it can actually be read!  Very carefully.  
Dan'el

Dan'el

0

Challengers of the Unknown #3: Aug 1958: Kirby FF prototype

What the heck is a DC comic doing in a journal about the Fantastic Four?  Well, a lot of people, including Jack Kirby and his family, believe this is where it all started.  The entire Kirby series of this title was a Kirby vision that would later morph into the FF.  This issue kind of says it all.  Rocky goes into space and comes back changed.  He had the ability to control fire, could change his size, had tremendous strength, and could turn invisible, among other things.  Sound familiar?  
Dan'el

Dan'el

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